Of cbttde petboleum pob ptjbificatioi-t



1; w. BOSTICK AND 0 H. HOMER. TREATMENT OF CRUDE PETROLEUM FOR' PURIFICATION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY29, I919.

Patented June 7, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I. W. BOSTICK AND C. H. HOMER. TREATMENT OF CRUDE PETROLEUM FOR PURIFICATION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29,1919. 7

2 SH EETSSHEET 2.

M TWA-Jo's;

JGSEFH WALLACE BQSIICK AND CHARLES HOIIIER, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

TREATMENT OF CRUDE PETROLEUM? FOR PURIFICATION.

ifit illfilifl Application filed July 29.

.7'0 1/ uriiom it may concern:

lie it known that l(!.\l-.lll ALLAlE lius'lllli and (n.ncmas ll. llonnn. both citi Zens ol the l nitcd Statesfand residing at llouston 'lcxas. have invented certain new and useful lnilirovemcnts in the lrcatnicnt oi (rude Petroleum 'l'or Purification. of which the following is a specification.

The i 'escnt invention relates to the purilication of crude petrolsnnu by causing the separation and sedimentation of some of the impurities ordinarily contained therein. such as sand. clay. l3. water. and under some conditions others. the stated results being secured by the use of heat supplied to the crude oil in a minimum quantity. and in a highl cllicicnt manner with the simultaneous :"ecover oi. gasolcne or other light fraction or fractions vaporized during the heating operation. v

The operations are conveuitntly effected in an apparatus, as shown in the accompanying drawings. in which Figure l is a longitudiual section, partly in elevation. of an apparatus for carrying out the. heating operation. and showing the header which leads to a suitable condenser.

Fig. 2 is, a luirizontal section of the same device, said section being taken on a plane below the cover.

Fig. 3 a section of one of the elements I or compartments ol the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. l a plan of the entire apparatus.

in the trealmhnt oi crude oil, or oil which has been subjected to slight purification already, such as liltration for example, the oil is intro iced through the valved pipe ll) into the lone tanleshaped device here shown as consisting of four compartments ll, l2. 13 and 14. This device contains baliles 15 1-13, and 11', by which the long tank is divided into tour or any suitable numherct coinparimeuts. these compartments being provided with sloped bottoms 18, 19. and 21. and the entire tank slopes somewhat a slope of. say from 4 to H inches in the length of the tank being sullicient. Located within lheseveral compartments are stearz heating coils 22, 23, 2- and 25, to which steam is supplied through pipes 526. 27. 28 and 29, from a suitable source. The steam, after passing through the coils. is conducted by pipe 30 into and through pipe ill located within the, pipe ll), to give the oil a preliminary heatin i and thereby econox'nize in the use of virtue oil the sloping bottoms st am He Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatenteci June 7, 1921. 1919. Serial 1%. 314,138.

become heated to the hoilingr point of 'ater, out only the oil at the top of such body.

-'lhe oil in the bottom ol each of the-Conn partments; below the coil may be at a temperature several degrees lower than the b0ilin; pointot water. it is only the oil which is at the top which can overllow the battles and on account of the heat, practically all ot the water and other insoluble impurities, such as sand. clay and the like is separated and settles to the ottom. where it gradually works its way toward the outlet pipes 32. 33. Ill and Ila; in the bottoms of several com partznents. 'lhese outlet pipes are provided with valves. as illustrated. which may be opened to draw oil the sludge accumulating therein. By virtue of heat treatment, the ll. carried in the oil will also to a large extent. be decomposed, the globules of water in the oil being broken and small drops of water coalescing;- to form larger drops of water which will settle to the bottom carrying suspended clay, sand and the like.

dluriun' the llow ot' the oil through the heating tank. its temperature can he caret'ully watched by means of thermometers 36 located in the different compartments. (70nncctcd to the cover of the tank are a numbcr oi pipes 37. which in turn connect with a suitable header 38. through which the gases and vapors liberated by the heating operation. are conducted to a, suitable condenser Til. in which the gasolene and other vapors are condensed to liquid form and from which the liquid flows into tank 40, and ma be drawn oll through pipe ll to a device for redistil lation or other suitable treatment.

The length of the heating" tank and the number of compartments there-in formed by the several ballles should be such as to insure pra tically complete purification of the oil from the above mentioned impurities by the time the oil reaches the outlet end of the For this purpose using .a tank divided into four compartments. a length of l-(l feet tor the tank will befound sullicient the oil in the treating tank, lie prevailed along one side of the tank as illustrated. The oil from the tank is drawn oil through valved pipes 43 into a trough (which may covered if dcsired) is, leading to the tank for turther purification.

The employment of bellies 15, etc., for dividing the tank up into sections, hastens the operation since it aids the small drops of water to coalesce, and this cuts down the length of time during which it is necessary to treat the oil, and also cuts down the amount of steam necessary to be employed. The heating operation seems also to cause a circulation or movement oi the water in contact with the heated upper portion of the oil, whereby a Washing of the oil, and consequent purification thereof, is efi'ected, the water then dropping back through the oil, and carrying with it the sand, clay and the like, which accumulates at the bottom of the tank, Where they are allowed to es cape through the pipes 32 etc. Thus the water separated by heat treatment, acts to further purify the oil. it ma j be noted that in the places of greatest depth in the heat ing tank, the layer of oil is about a foot deep, it being understood that sediment-w 'tion is aided by the empl yment of a relatively shallow layer of oil. The several pipes 43, through which the oil finds its exit i 'roni the heating tank, may be arranged at ill rent levels so as to regulate the height oi' the oil in the last compartment, and the rate of flow through the tank.

is a check on the operation, and for the purpose oi controlling the intact the oil, a number of sampling pipes may be provided at the outlet end 0. the last coin pertinent. Also if desired, similar san'ipling "pesmay be connected with much of the c 11' iartn'ients of the tank, as illr .l

in Fig, 3.

to may also he I n; J1 *"M 3% w t J LsJL apoi (call. Pl UQS i (11 u twat oi: the long tank, ahove the icoil leaving the trough or apron flows into the tank 45. This tank is prefol large capacity, say, 2'5 to 10:: barrels, and is preferably filled to within 6 or 8 inches of its outlet with hot watch The temperature of the water is maintained by suitable steam coils or otherwise, a temperature just below the boiling point being found i suitable. The oil flowing into this is washed by the hot water, and the impurities, to a certain extent, absorbed by the hot Water,

and Without producing any substantial amount of emulsifieation. In fact ti e tendency for this hot water is to break up any traces of B. S.,'carricd in the oil. For this purpose the temperature of the Water in this vat or tank should he kept just below the boiling point, but never allowed to boil.

The oil is then allowed to flow into the essence tanks &8 and i9, for settlement, suitable out" lets being provided at the bottoms of these tanks. The Water level in the tank 45 may conveniently be regulated by means of a valved pipe 51.

The gasolene and like material collected in the tank 40 (which may be a tank of say, 20 or 25 gallons capacity) is allowed to settle therein and any water which separates therefrom may be drawn off through the valved pipe 52.

Ne claim:

1. A process of treating crude petroleum oil, which comprises gently flowing the same in a relatively quiescent state through a series of shallow tanks in which the oil is heated at its upper part to a substantially higher temperature than at llls lower part, allowing sedimentation in each of said tanksi 'drai-ving elf separately from each of saic bodies of oil the impurities which settle out, allowing oil. from the surface portions only of said shallow bodies of oil to progress to the succeeding bodies, and drawing of? and condensing the vapors evolved in such heating operation.

2. A process of treating petroleum oil, which comprises establishing a series of shallm' relatively quiescent bodies of oil with heating means in contact with the upper portions only of such bodies, allowing oil. to fioiv from the upper part only of each of such bodies except the last, into the next succeeding Jody, drawingotl' sediment from the lower part of each of such bodies of oil, drawing oil oil from the upper partonly of the last of said bodies of oil, bring ing the .SRIYG into a body of hot Water for .f "thcr pi. Section, and finally allowing settlement of th v-treated oil.

for tree-tin ily matcan elongated tank divided sl'iallow compartments, clcs .(l

e a in each of said conwartinents 1 located near the normal liquid levels there's, bullies separating said compact-- nients, except at their tops, over whi the il may flow from one compartment the next, a cover for said tank, vapor draw-oil connections tot-he upper part of said tank,

a condenses in communication therewith, liquid drew-oil connections to the bottoms oi each of said. conipai'tnients, an. oil inlet to the est of said compartments, and an oil outlet m the last of said compartments.

In apparatus as specified claim 3, heating means located in the oil inlet.

5. The combination of a. deep" washing tank and a settling tank, conneoted to the oil outlet'of the apparatus of claim in testimol'iy whereof, we have hereunto Subscribed our names.

JOSETP'H WALLACE BQSTICK.

H, HOMER, 

